


A Not So Terrible Face

by Mirenelle



Category: Naruto
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Crushes, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 17:20:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20586182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirenelle/pseuds/Mirenelle
Summary: “What are these  for?” Itachi asked in surprise as he looked at the flowers and Tenma shrugged, face pulling into a familiar scowl as his arms crossed over his chest, defensively.“It’s nothing. I saw them and well...You have a face.” He kicked at some dirt by his feet, not looking at the smaller boy.“Yes, I do.” Itachi agreed.OrTenma has a little crush and it goes as well as can be expected.





	A Not So Terrible Face

**Author's Note:**

> Non massacre AU where Tenma lives.

Tenma realized he was in trouble the day he walked into a wall while watching Uchiha Itachi smile at him. One minute he had been strutting down the sidewalk and the next he was looking up to see his former teammate catch his gaze and smile. Itachi’s smile had been illuminating, dark eyes sparkling and long eyelashes casting shadows over his cheeks. Tenma was so distracted that he ended up face first into the side of a building. He bounced off it, landing ass first on the ground with a surprised grunt. Sniggers erupted from around him.

“Tenma!” He heard Itachi speak as he approached from where he was sitting with Anko to help him up. “Are you alright?” He knelt down beside Tenma, looking at him with those eyes of his as if he were special or something. Tenma could see Itachi’s scary cousin leaning back in his seat and looking all too amused at Tenma’s predicament.

“I’m fine, don’t touch me.” Tenma swatted the boy away leaping to his feet and brushing his shirt down. He tried to brush it off as if he hadn’t been distracted by the Uchiha and face planted off a wall but Uchiha Shisui’s knowing grin gave it all away. Itachi stood and looked at him in concern, head tilting at the older boy.

“Are you sure? Your face is really red.” His brows furrowed and Tenma fought the urge to hide his heated face from view.

“Don’t look at me...I’m fine.” Tenma’s scowl deepened, feeling his face heat up even more at the audience surrounding them. He could see other shinobi watching him and Itachi. That weird guy Genma was absolutely leering at Tenma. The other guy Aoba looked amused and the scary chick Anko was cackling at him in utter glee from beside Shisui. She cupped her hands over her mouth.

“Uchiha, stop flirting with your friend and come eat this dango!” She shouted causing Itachi to blink in surprise and Tenma’s scowl to deepen.

“We aren’t friends!” He barked and Itachi sighed, pulling away from the irate boy. 

“I’m coming.Goodbye Tenma” He offered Tenma a slight wave and turned back to Anko who was holding his snack out to him.

Tenma all but fled the marketplace, feeling as if Itachi’s not pretty eyes were following his every move.

* * *

“Here.” Tenma shoved the fistful of wildflowers into Itachi’s arms four days later. Itachi took the flowers, careful not to jostle them. Overhead cicadas loudly buzzed and the leaves rustled in the trees.

“What are thesefor?” Itachi asked in surprise as he looked at the flowers and Tenma shrugged, face pulling into a familiar scowl as his arms crossed over his chest, defensively.

“It’s nothing. I saw them and well...You have a face.” He kicked at some dirt by his feet, not looking at the smaller boy.

“Yes, I do.” Itachi agreed. They were standing outside the village gates. Tenma may or may not have been lingering in wait for the Uchiha to return from a mission. Not that he was worried or anything. 

Tenma’s eyes shot up to quickly glance at the ANBU captain before averting to look out at the particularly boring looking tree. “I’ve seen worse things.” His voice trailed off. Then he just got angry again, jerking his chin up to leer down at the shorter boy.

You’re not cute.”

”I never said I was.” Itachi looked openly confused now, a major shift in the normally stoic ANBU Captain.

”Just so you don’t go thinking you are.” Tenma shot back, feeling stupid. He shuffled, uncomfortably. “But like I said...it’s not the worst thing I’ve seen.”

“Oh.” He heard Itachi reply. At these small words Tenma instantly found himself getting defensive...again.

“Don’t go over thinking anything.” Tenma jabbed a finger in Itachi’s face, cheeks and neck feeling uncomfortably hot. “If you think I’ve gone soft you’ve got a new thing coming.” 

“I won’t.” Itachi agreed, bewildered and a little concerned with Tenma’s bouncing emotions. 

“Good.” Tenma stuffed his hands in his pockets, shoulders relaxing as he nodded to the boy. “Catch you never,  _Uchiha_ .” He made sure to shoulder check the boy as he passed by.

* * *

Tenma’s father died about a year ago. He had been sick for awhile so it wasn’t a surprise or anything when he finally passed. Still, it didn’t make things easier. He had been hoping to put on Jonin for the last several months and losing his father had set him back.

Team 2 had splintered years ago. Shinko Inari had decided against the shinobi lifestyle and had taken to working at a tea house and Itachi had shot through the ranks into ANBU Captain all before he hit puberty. Sensei Minazuki had hummed and hawed for months before allowing Tenma to proceed in his training and Tenma found he enjoyed working on his own. 

With his father’s passing it was Itachi and Shinko who helped him get everything in order. Shinko was the one who accepted any condolences little gifts from well wishes when it got too much for him. Itachi remained at his side, anytime he had away from his own duties he was there for Tenma. Tenma appreciated them. In ways he could never admit.

Even with the splitting of Team 2 they still remained loyal to each other. Shinko was his blunt no nonsense words of wisdom and Itachi, despite all the earlier bullying and cold shoulders was all kindness and understanding. Tenma was still torn between liking the brat and hating him.

“It’s because you think he’s cute.” Shinko had drawled one night over drinks, her hair now cropped into a pixie cut bobbled as she nodded her head. Tenma choked on his sake, wincing in pain as he felt it sputter from his nostrils. Shinko watched him in amusement as he raggedy tried to regain his breath, sipping lightly from her own glass.

Wha-what are you...what did you say!?” Tenma coughed, rubbing his throat.

“You think Itachi’s cute and that’s why you’re still mean to him.” Shinko said slowly as if speaking to a really dumb child.

“I don’t think Uchiha’s cute.” Tenma replied with a dismissive grunt. 

Shinko hummed, resting her cheek against her palm and idly tracing her fingertip over the rim of her glass. “Okay, so let’s just say...if that guy Shikeru called Itachi a slur-“

“Are you saying Shikeru said something about him? I already warned him to back off.” Tenma cut her off, slamming his glass down. Tenma had made it _**very**_ clear that he was not going to deal with any loser running their mouth about his...about the Uchiha. “What di-“

“Shut up,” Shinko reached forward to flick his nose. “It was just an example.”

“Oh.” Tenna swiped at his nose.

“Yeah, you’ve got it bad, Izumo.” Shinko rested her legs on the table, crossing her ankles and leaning back, far too at ease for Tenma’s comfort. He fought the urge to kick the leg of her chair out from under her.

“Shut up.”


End file.
